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How to list your property on Airbnb

Published on June 3, 2021

For hosts, Airbnb provides a brilliant opportunity to earn real cash by leasing out their spare properties to travelers who come to the city and need a comfortable space to stay in for a while. As for guests, Airbnb allows them to find proper lodging in a place of destination with all the modern comforts and amenities, yet much cheaper compared to a hotel room. Perfect win-win.

So, if you have a cozy nook to rent out, you can capitalize on the accommodation needs of globe-trotters who come to explore your hometown. You just need to list your property on Airbnb and let the international community of tourists know about your existence. This is where the challenge begins.

The matter is that you are not the only entrepreneur in your town willing to make money from a short-term vacation rental business. There are hundreds, thousands, or even millions of such opportunists in your city, each wanting to beat the rivals and lure customers. To outstand against the dense competition, your property should be well-visible in Airbnb search results. We will teach you how to do so.

Register with Airbnb

Your entrepreneurial journey to the world of big bucks starts with creating an account on Airbnb. The procedure is free and intuitive. The platform even offers a convenient calculator to let you estimate how much you are going to earn on your proposal. Embellish your listing with enough details, catchy descriptions, and bright, quality photos. Do not worry – the platform will prompt you throughout the process. Remember that barren listings with scarce information do not inspire trust as surely as the lack of the owner’s photo. Fill out your host’s profile and verify your identity (the platform will require you to provide some ID document, not publicly available), provide a clear image of yourself – guests shall know whom they are going to deal with.

Tune your listing

You will not have to calculate your rate – the platform will do it automatically based on the number of rooms, offered amenities, location, seasonality, competition, and other factors. Surely, you can set your own price per night that seems to you adequate. You can adjust your rates at any time as surely as you can block certain dates from reservations. The system will give you a handy calendar to manage your bookable/non-bookable dates.

Generously describe your amenities and accommodation

Try to portray your offering in every detail – guests want to have a clear presentation of where they are going to live. Your descriptions should encourage prospects to make a booking, so provide exhaustive information. Do you have a coffee machine? Mention it. A lovely balcony overlooking wonderful cityscapes? Let your listing reflect it! Do you provide free little bounties like candies or souvenirs for your tenants? Great, put it in your description, too. Be accurate, honest, and do not include in your listing description what is not available in your home. Frustration can lead to docked stars as guest reviews have incredible power on Airbnb. Still, if your descriptions match reality, your guests should not be disappointed.

Cater to guest needs

People arriving at your place expect to feel at home, so arrange it. Internet, kitchen appliances, serving pieces, tea/coffee/sugar, toiletries and towels, main domestic machines like a stove, a fridge, a washing machine, an iron, a hair-dryer – these are the must-haves for many travelers used to everyday comfort, but you should seriously consider going above and beyond these standard provisions.

Highlight nearby attractions and important places

Your guests want to know how they can entertain in your neighborhood. So, make sure you list all the places of interest and sights in your advertisement, including parks, shopping centers, tourist attractions, restaurants, cafes, public transportation, the remoteness from the city center, etc.

Great photos stir curiosity

Nice pictures can speak louder than a long description, so post good photos of your listing on Airbnb. Showcase your home, and do not forget to add short descriptions to them. Capture the whole property, including a couple of photos of the neighborhood and street. If you are not good at photographing, you can hire a professional directly through the Airbnb platform – it is free! A photographer will receive a portion of your commission automatically once you conclude your first deal on the platform.

What can affect your reputation on Airbnb?

Your listing will be booked if only it is visible to Airbnb’s huge audience. But your listing can drop out from ranking. Lots of factors determine the appearance of your proposal in Airbnb search results, including:

Overall rating – those magic five stars…
Response rate – the quicker you reply to inquiries, the more the Airbnb platform loves you.
Reject/cancellation rate – if you often decline reservations without a good reason, your listing will fall out of favor.
Competitive pricing – surprisingly, but cheaper offers rank higher than the pricey ones.
Quality photos and detailed listing descriptions – never misleading your guests is a wise move to the peak of popularity on Airbnb.
Positive reviews – unhappy clients can ruin your Airbnb business.

In fact, Airbnb applies nearly a hundred factors to determine the position of your listing in search results. Observing all these factors is quite a rocket science, and if you fear that you will not be able to handle all the requirements of the platform, you may turn to powerful Airbnb listing management software to boost your ranking and do more business on the platform. Click here to know more. Through comprehensive automation of repetitive, daily tasks, Airbnb management tools give you peace of mind that you consistently deliver an excellent guest experience while your property remains fully managed, well cared for, and highly appealing to potential clients.

How to Start Making Money on Instagram

Published on March 20, 2020March 26, 2020

Business

What started as a photo-sharing medium, Instagram is now a marketing platform.
The number of users has quickly doubled, attracting businesses to use the platform as a marketing basis.
With several followers and great use of hashtags, as illustrated on Shopify, you can passively make money at the comfort of your house.

Let’s dive.

Grow Your Audience Why would a company approach you to market their products? When you post on Instagram, the post appears on all your followers’ feed. If you have a few hundred followers, then you have less audience, and the opposite is exact.Ask people to follow you, use the right hashtag such as #follow4follow when posting and become influential. Being an established person on Instagram acts as a profile for attracting businesses who want to reach your audience.Strive for above 5000 followers.2. Remain Active and Engage Your AudienceWhat’s the use of having 5000 followers, and you’re not giving them something? Regularly post high-quality pictures, even if it means using editing tools. The point is, ensure you’re posting something worth looking.While you don’t have to post every day, the time you post content on your page matters. Post during break hours, commuting hours (morning and evening) and weekends to reach more people. Read their comments and reply where necessary.
If one of your fans uses the product you’re marketing, recognize them on a video or post.

3. Engage an Influencer

Familiar with the Kardashians? While not everyone can access any of the Kardashian, those who do use them for marketing their apparel or other products.

You don’t have to find an influencer with a million followers. You can tell your friend with substantial followers to use your product and recognize where they got it from you as well as handle your branded hashtag as they make their post. If their fans use the link to yours, then you grow your audience and sales as well.

If you’re an Instagram influencer, engage shoutouts. You promote another person’s account or company. An influencer posts a video and starts or end by stating who made the video possible and ask the audience to check the person’s account or website. Similarly, if you receive a product from a specific company and you admired their services, you can recommend the company to other people. Well, start by being a free ambassador or ask for a gig in exchange for revenue.

Edit your bio and add contact information and indicate the contact information applies to people who want to do business with you.

4. Sell Photos and Virtually Consumable Products

Instagram is a visual-based platform. Some of the images on the medium are of high quality than Google pictures. Since bloggers and other internet users are always in need of photos, use the chance to provide high-quality images, including drawings, paintings, animations and videos.

However, your photos have to look better than other sellers for you to make good money. Ensure, therefore, that you’re using the right tools to edit and enhance your images besides taking original pictures.

5. Get into Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is where you partner with a brand to make a sale in exchange for a commission. You a retractable link or promotion code that if buyers use to purchase a product, you earn a commission.

But, you can only have one link on your bio, yet you need several for all the products you’re selling. Use the link to lead to a landing affiliate page. Consequently, make a post and indicate that people can use the link in your Instagram bio to purchase products or services.

6. Advertise Your Bnb on Instagram

Those on the Airbnb platform make a lot by doing little since the company is responsible for creating pitches that attract travellers to book accommodation. The truth is, tourists are looking for BnB, and you’re at an advantage if you live near tourist attractions. Those travellers, however, don’t know you provide accommodation because they don’t come from the nearby area.

You have to sell your services, and your success is dependent on your marketing.

Use the chance to market your room on Instagram. But, you can’t be sceptical about it. Share details describing your space, near landmarks, tourist attractions, utilities available and restrictions if there is any.

Use a wide-angle camera and take high-quality pictures. If the camera loves you, opt for a video and navigate through your compound as you show the exterior and interior of your rental.

7. Sponsored Content

With 100,000 followers, companies will look for you to promote their products. With a high number of followers, you seem trustable and influential and that because of the content you post on your platform.

Sponsored content is a strategy where you have to use the product and provide testimonials to your followers. You share how the product or the service in question makes your life what it is. If you are marketing gym wear, you have to go live and show your experience with the outfit. The message you pass on your post has to reflect your live video.

There is a catch.

You have to remain trustworthy by balancing the money you gain, and your integrity as your followers will be interested in the authenticity of the product.

8. Entrepreneurship and Instagram

Instead of using your influence to sell other people’s products, sell yours and enjoy the income. It’s a bit complex than other realms because you have to work both on the ground, and online marketing your products.

Alternatively, take time to prepare information products such as eBooks, video courses and webinars. Promote these products on your Instagram page and show the value your audience get if they use your products.

Again, be authentic.

Think you have what it takes to become an Instagram earner? Businesses are budgeting for online marketing, and Instagram is one of the platforms they intend to use. With many marketing opportunities, you can earn money from Instagram. Dive in and implement the above points.

Why choose Cancun for your next vacation?

Published on December 6, 2019

Travel

Cancun located in the southeast of Mexico and has some of the most beautiful beaches of the Caribbean Sea, which make it such an attractive city for anyone who visits the city.

Cancun is also a place well known by neighboring cities such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum, where you can also enjoy incredible scenery and beautiful beaches.

Other popular activities in Cancun are visits to the parks Xcaret, Xplor, Xenses, or Xel-Há.

A little closer to Cancun

Cancun is divided into two (hotel zone) the lagoon and the sea. These two give a complete view of the city because on one side you can enjoy the blue sea with calm waves and white sand, while on the other hand you can get to know the best of the Nichupte lagoon and enjoy a yacht trip.

Over the years, Cancun is one of the best tourist destinations in the world, and this we can see due to the significant growth that this city has had for less than a decade, receiving a tourist influx of more than 3 million people a year.

Since 1969, Cancun was a city discovered thanks to a project of tourism. Eight years later was inaugurated the first airport of the city, the same by which hundreds of people began to move to the city to live a completely new adventure and thus begin to grow the city and its surroundings (Riviera Maya).

You should also know that Cancun is the PRINCIPAL tourist destination in the Caribbean Sea! It receives many more tourists than Brazil, Punta Cana, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and Los Angeles.

Where to stay

Staying in a city like Cancun is a straightforward task, where you will be able to discover places you never imagined!

One thing you have to consider about Cancun is that being a giant tourist attraction, you will have to plan your accommodation months. As hotel occupations can ruin your trip if you do not prevent in time the process of your reservation for your stay in one of the hotels in the city. (this also applies to travel apps).

In Cancun, you will find countless places to stay, from 5-star hotels in the hotel zone to hostels in the city center. That’s why it won’t be difficult for you to start your booking process as soon as you know what budget you have for your accommodation in the city.

Applications such as Airbnb will be your allies at the time of making your stay reservations if what you want is a more personal and comfortable experience.

How to get around the city

Cancun is a small city, where you can move quickly, so it is advisable to find a Cancun airport taxi service – there are plenty of agencies that offer such services and you can find more details at eTransfers.

Similarly, if you want to get to the outskirts of the city, remember that you will have many mobility options to know the nearby places in the city.

The beaches of Cancun

Thousands of tourists travel daily to see this incredible site located in one of the best and most desirable areas of the Caribbean Sea.

As you make your travel arrangements, you’ll be delighted to know that you can arrange hundreds of great places around the beaches, such as beachfront clubs and restaurants, where you’ll love to hang out!

The beaches of Cancun are a natural pool that will catch your attention because the turquoise color of the sea and the bright sand are the perfect combinations to relax and perform great activities on the site.

Playa dolphins, Playa Langosta, Playa Golondrinas and Marlin, are the best beaches you can visit in Cancun, and where you will spend a vacation and incredible experiences.

You can’t get lost in the city, plus the best-known water activities like snorkeling, kayaking and so on.

When you visit Cancun don’t forget to bring a bathing suit, because you can be sure that the beaches of this city are difficult to resist and you will have to jump to them as soon as you find yourself on the shore.

Another activity that you will love is the banana, where you and seven other friends can navigate the sea at an incredible speed. For this activity, you do not have to worry because, at all times, you will be cared for by professionals and receive a life jacket in case of falls (which are very frequent during the laps of the tour in the banana).

Do you want to know the most beautiful island in Mexico?

For this, it is enough to take a ferry to Isla Mujeres, where the crystal clear waters and the beach environment will catch you completely.

Two of the most exciting activities you can do near the place are to visit Garrafon park and do an underwater tour to see the underwater art museum! (MUSA).

Enjoy the most diverse Gastronomy!

Cancun is a city with very diverse gastronomy, and it is not surprising, as daily hundreds of tourists from all over the world come to demanding typical and foreign dishes!

Both in the city center and the hotel zone, it will be easy to find restaurants where you can taste the most delicious foods in the city.

The best destination to go Shopping

Cancun is one of the best cities, where you can enjoy an incredible atmosphere, but also at the same time, you will find everything!

From ordinary clothing stores like Forever 21, Zara, Louis Vuitton, Carolina Herrera, and Salvatore Ferragamo!

The best places to buy clothes or accessories are in the hotel zone. At the entrance of this you can enjoy Puerto Cancun Marina Town center, later Plaza the island and shortly after Plaza Kukulcan, where you can find the Luxury Avenue, where you can buy in your favorite exclusive brands!

Activities around the city

Cancun is one of the few cities where you can find incredible activities like scuba diving, fishing, ATV tours, Zip lines, and so on, but no doubt some of the places where you will find almost all these activities together are the water parks.

Some of the most important water parks near Cancun are Ventura Park, Xenses (Playa del Carmen), Xel-ha, and Xel-ha.

For all lovers of adventure and nature, there are some tours and excursions in Cancun to see and explore its parks, Mayan ruins, or more remote beaches, as well as to practice activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, and biking.

Don’t miss an incredible trip to Cancun, and use this post as a productive guide during your visit!

AirBNB vs Marriott International, Hotel Giant’s Got An App For Home Rentals

Published on April 30, 2019

Business/Travel

It’s a battle to be the supreme online retailer on all playing fields today. Old conglomerates who thought their billions could survive the internet have become fallen soldier of lost time. The web has changed everything. Now it’s Airbnb vs Marriott International, as the hotel giant’s got a new app for home rentals.

The battle of hotels vs home rentals has been a hot topic for the last 5 years. The hospitality industry has thrown billions lobbying against Airbnb in various US states but could not win the war. There’s no way to stop such projects with the internet giving brands marketing capabilities that extend far beyond any one country’s laws. The corporate machine behind the home rental company Airbnb kept pushing globally until worth enough billions to wage the war that was once seen as David vs Goliath.

“For younger generations booking group travel, it’s not who’s in charge of the hotel? It’s who’s in charge of the Airbnb?” said Michael Bellisario, an analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. “Homesharing is here to stay. The best thing hotel companies can do is embrace it.”

Can’t Beat Them, Join Them.

Now that hotels have lost millions in their battle efforts and ‘David’ is on steroids and valued at $31-billion-dollars, mindsets have changed. According to USA Today, hotels are instead joining the consumer rush for home rentals. Marriott International, a global hotel giant, has an app that will soon release to compete with Airbnb. Though focused on their hotel establishments, Marriott will now too begin renting homes and even possibly Tree Houses and Tents (see here), just like Airbnb.

The new rental app will be announced n the United States next month, May 2019. It’s already been tested in major European markets such as Paris and London. With trials being quite successful, the Marriott company is eager to try the United States market. According to Directory Bug, it’s likely there will be massive marketing campaigns that focus on SEO and the best local SEO citations, which will show reviews of home rentals across various social media & search outlets.

App Name & Hotel Rewards Points

The Marriott International hotel app will likely be used to share home rentals available. This way consumers can compare all rental options in one source. However, there may be a sudden particular name given to the project in May, separating the home share rentals from hotel locations.

What is known, customers who book home rentals through the Marriott app will gain hotel rewards points from there stay. These points are expected to be good towards future bookings for any of the company’s rental options.

Beyond the app, Marriott Intl is expected to go public with their company stock later in 2019. This move would mean anyone could also own a stake in the home rental and hotels app with a quick investment. Though a business risk when investing, this hotel giant is still a major influencer worldwide in the hospitality industry.

How to get a job at Airbnb

Published on March 14, 2019

Business

With Airbnb, there was a change in the way people travel. It allows them to stay in someone’s house and live as a local would. However, to work for Airbnb might be a different experience than working in other big companies. Airbnb has thousands of employees and it generates billions in yearly revenues. If you check it out, there will be hundreds of job openings listed on the Airbnb career page.

So, how can you start working at Airbnb? Here is a list of things to keep in mind and know:

1. At Airbnb, culture comes first – did you know that culture is most important to Airbnb? It took them 3 months to hire their first employee. People who were in charge of hiring were instructed from the beginning to pay attention to the hiring of the first 50-100 employees. So, you might ask yourself how does Airbnb actually define its culture? Well, the answer is – inventive. They have invented a new marketplace and there was no easy way to rent someone house or bedroom over the Internet. They did not have a specific instruction book to help them in defining the marketplace, so they had to invent it.

2. You must have: passion, design sensibility, and raw intelligence – Airbnb has a vast list of qualities they are looking for when interviewing people. And, on top of the list is the passion for changing the travel industry. For them, it is more than just making money. Their goal is to connect people from various countries and their social mission is to get people to meet each other. Hence, they need candidates who agree on this purpose. Perhaps the ideal Airbnb candidate would be a resourceful self-starter who will not need a lot of guidance. The candidate needs to have a strong design sensibility, which means that you will need to be able to recognize good designs and good user experiences. These are the core things at Airbnb and it does not matter which department you work in. They are prone to hiring people who are smarter then they are. You should also be able to work in a team, be trustworthy, and have integrity.

3. The Airbnb interview – going to an Airbnb interview is quite straightforward. The company will break down the roles into six categories: product, community, customer support, marketing, engineering, and finance. Firstly, you will meet with the leader of the hiring department, and after you will meet with every team member in the department. Those who pass the process will meet the cross-section of the company, with someone who will represent each of the six categories. If all goes as planned, in the end, you will meet with two co-founders of Airbnb as the final exam. Keep in mind that Airbnb does not care about what you wear if you want you could show up in jeans and flip flops, but their main concern is the qualities that you will bring to their teams and the company itself.

4. Quirks that work – a company that defines itself as an inventive one is looking to hire people who will stand out from the crowd. So, in order to get hired, you will need to embody the word “inventive”. For example, the director of marketing for Airbnb applied with a comic book in his hands. He had drawn a two-page comic book about why he wanted to work for the company and who he was. Standing out from the crowd is the key to getting hired by Airbnb.

Conclusion

So, in order to be hired by Airbnb, being creative and inventive is the key here. Keep in mind that they put up a new list of job opportunities almost weekly, so do not waste any time and go job hunting!

General objectives that guide the activities and relationships of one state in its interactions with other states.

Airbnb